Site Search Navigation

Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Is Warner Too Centrist for Bloggers?

By Chris Suellentrop June 19, 2006 10:23 amJune 19, 2006 10:23 am

Did former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, who is expected to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 (if he isn’t already running for it), “win” the YearlyKos convention? Garance Franke-Ruta, a senior editor at The American Prospect, says that Warner’s performance at YearlyKos is being overstated. “Though Warner’s speech, his standard stump, earned him coverage in influential papers such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, it flopped with the politically sophisticated Kossaks,” she writes. “His decision to use the Kos conference to increase his name I.D. and online profile was a shrewd political move for a little-known candidate, yet his politics, in the end, proved too centrist for many of the bloggers at the conference.”

Warner makes a better VP for someone like Gore, than the head of the ticket. This combination would present an ideologically balanced ticket acceptable to both wings of the party, IMO.

Warner’s strong suit competence on domestic issues, needs to be tied to a running mate with vision for the country’s future and more foreign policy experience.

All pragmatism without idealism may be enough to fuel a governor’s race or a successful governorship (particularly in a red state), but given the seriousness of the country’s problems from global warming to “class warfare” over issues like repeal of the Estate Tax, there are limits.

“Sensible Centrism” as Krugman pointed out in an Op-Ed on America’s polarized politics only goes so far, when those at the receiving end of the warfare are trying to be reasonable and those engaging in the warfare are being bullies. The Netroots folks at the Conference were right to be polite, but skeptical to a Warner appeal for their support.